Did you know that citing part of a text isn’t necessarily citing the Word of God? Only when you cite the scriptures in the proper context are you speaking the Word of God from scripture.

For example, there is a verse in Isaiah 45 which says the following:

Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. ~ Isaiah 45:11

When I ran with the Word of Faith camp, I heard this verse preached as proof that we could give God commands. I am almost certain I may have parroted that a time or two in the the distant past.

Yet this verse isn’t at all telling people to give out orders to the Most High. Contextually, God is basically saying to the people, “who are you to command me?”

Here is verses 10-12 from the NLT which has done a good job translating this:

How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father,
‘Why was I born?’
or if it said to its mother,
‘Why did you make me this way?’”

11 This is what the Lord says—
the Holy One of Israel and your Creator:
“Do you question what I do for my children?
Do you give me orders about the work of my hands?

12 I am the one who made the earth
and created people to live on it.
With my hands I stretched out the heavens.
All the stars are at my command. ! ~ Isaiah 45:10-12

The Word of God is not telling us to command God by the words “command ye me.” The word of God saying the exact opposite. God is telling us (Israel at the time) that He is God, and though we can inquire (ask questions), we are not to “question” him. He is the Living God, the creator of all. He can do what he wants to do.

There is a vast difference in scripture being used in a way that is not the Word of God, and scripture being used in a way that is the word of God.

Giving out orders to God doesn’t jive with the whole counsel of scripture. No one in the scriptures dished out orders to God. God is to be honored and revered.

Context is everything when desiring to properly understanding the scriptures.